Aftermath
by TheGoodShipFluffy
Summary: Okay. Sam ran away. Mom and Dad will be coming home in the morning from their couple's retreat or whatever. It's three in the morning and Kaitlin's standing in the attic, a house full of secrets beneath her feet and a whole lot of drama about to cut loose when her parents get home. Now what?
1. Now What?

Maybe Kaitlin should have left well enough alone. Nevertheless, she had gone snooping, and it was a little after three in the morning by the time she was standing in the attic, reading through Sam's journal. She'd started to piece it all together before she found the journal, of course. The school note about her sneaking off with this "Lonnie" girl, the necklaces, the collage, the nudie mag, the Allegra stories, to say nothing of the notes she'd found passed between the two of them. Kaitlin had sort of brushed it off at first, but the evidence had been pretty strong by the time she confirmed it in the journal: Sam was gay.

Not just that, but she'd _run away_ with Lonnie, the pink-haired girl from the photos. Thinking about it, Kaitlin figured it was better than some of the alternatives; "I won't be needing it anymore" had been pretty ominous. Two teenagers on the lam wasn't a great situation, but at least Sam was alive and probably safe. Besides, most runaways came home pretty quick, right?

Maybe it wouldn't have come to that if Mom and Dad hadn't been so shitty about the whole thing, though. Sure, it sounded like Sam hadn't really been a model of good behavior, what with the sneaking out, cutting classes, and getting all angsty, but those were kind of separate issues to this Lonnie business. Hell, even if it really _was_ "just a phase," talking down to a teenager about her feelings sounded like the dumbest possible way to approach things. Then again, Kaitlin had to admit, she'd just gotten off a year of youth hostels and cosmopolitan European cities. Maybe she wouldn't have been so understanding before her trip…

Closing the journal, Kaitlin took a deep breath. There wasn't anything she could do for her sister right then, she knew. Even if she could get in contact with Sam, all she really had was a pretty lean bank account and a purse full of European change. It sucked, but Sam was on her own.

At the very least, though, Kaitlin was resolved to tidy up the house. She'd slept for most of the flight from London, and with the time difference it was really more like noon for her just then, anyway. She couldn't have slept even if she'd wanted to. Switching off the lights as she went, Kaitlin left the attic and locked the trap door behind her.

The first thing she did was gather up all of Sam's papers, all the notes, all the stories, all the maps, and hid them in the locker. Next she cleared the trash out of the hidden room Sam and Lonnie had been using as their clubhouse, then turned off all the lights in there, too. There was no way she could hide that Sam had up and run away, but she could at least guard some of her sister's secrets.

The secret passages and hidden panels had all been things that Sam and Lonnie had found together, it had sounded like. If Mom and Dad didn't already know about those things, Kaitlin was determined to keep them hidden. They were Sam's stuff, so far as she was concerned, and Mom and Dad had surrendered the right to know about them by being so shitty.

At some point while she was cleaning, the storm stopped, and the sky was starting to lighten to grey when she finally flopped down onto the couch in the den. Unsurprisingly, nothing good was on at five thirty in the morning, so she popped in a video to kill time. Glancing at the spot where she'd found the empty pizza box, she found herself wishing that Sam and Lonnie had left her a slice, although she really couldn't hold it against them that they hadn't thought of her.

At length, her grumbling stomach got the better of her, and she got up to head for the kitchen. Based on the state of it, Kaitlin doubted she was going to be cooking up a hardy breakfast of bacon and eggs, but she hoped she could at least find some cereal. Sure enough, there were some Frosted Flakes in the pantry, and some okay-smelling milk in the fridge. Shrugging, Kaitlin filled a bowl and sat down to eat her breakfast. Or maybe more like an early dinner? International travel was weird…

As she rinsed out the bowl, Kaitlin heard the garage door opening, and a car pulling in. Her heart skipped a beat, and she dropped the bowl and spoon to clatter in the sink, turning to dash for the garage. Was Sam back? Was she okay?

As she rounded the corner and entered the garage, though, she found the family car, not whatever Sam was driving these days, pulling in. Mom saw her and waved, smiling. Dad glanced over and flashed a smile, too, but parked the car before actually giving her his full attention. In a few seconds, though, both were out of the car and running over, pulling Kaitlin into a hug.

"Oh, Katie, it's so good to see you!" Mom exclaimed once she and Dad finally released Kaitlin, "I can't wait to hear all about your adventures!"

"We've been enjoying your postcards!" Dad added, "It sure sounded like you had a good time." Neither of them seemed to have quite realized yet that Sam's car was gone.

"I, uh, yeah, I did," Kaitlin mumbled, "Europe was great." Both Mom and Dad gave her a weird look, apparently at least noticing that something was up for her. After studying her for a moment, they both started glancing around. Mom put it together first.

"Where's Sam?!" she demanded, panic in her voice, "Kaitlin, where's Sam?!"

"Sam?!" Dad called, pushing past Kaitlin to get further into the house, "Sam?!" Kaitlin heard him walking hurriedly away out of the kitchen and down the hall, still calling out. Mom stayed put, looking around the garage one last time before turning back to Kaitlin.

"Katie," she breathed, eyes wide and voice so even it had to be forced, "What happened to Sam?" Mom and Dad were obviously really worried about Sam. After all, it sounded like things had been pretty stressful for the last couple of months, and those dumb parenting books Kaitlin had found lying around probably meant they thought Sam was acting unstable and erratic. Coming home from their long weekend to find Sam's car gone and Kaitlin looking haggard and troubled was probably like the sum of all fears for them or something. It would probably be nicer to be gentle or careful with them, Kaitlin thought. But then again, if they hadn't been so shitty, this wouldn't even be happening. She took a deep breath.

"Mom, Sam ran away," Kaitlin replied. Before her mother could respond, she turned on her heel and walked out of the garage.


	2. Family Meeting

**A/N: A wild drama-llama appeared!**

Mom had sort of broken down and cried in the dining room, and Dad ran through the house calling for Sam. He didn't find her, of course. Sam was gone, and Kaitlin sure as hell didn't know where she was. If she had to guess, Kaitlin figured they were probably someplace a little north. Like, Kaitlin wasn't an expert on the army or anything, but if Lonnie was going to basic training she'd be going out of state, right? Someplace a ways east, and maybe in the South? That'd probably mean she'd be taking a plane there, and the Portland International Airport was probably the hub she'd be flying out of.

If she'd gotten off a bus and used a payphone, it was probably at a stop in a town between here and Portland, then, Kaitlin thought. Sam had written in the last entry of her journal that Lonnie had suggested they "just drive," but somehow Kaitlin doubted they'd made it far past their rendezvous. Between the massive ass storm and them probably being psyched to see each other, she sort of assumed that Sam and Lonnie had sprung for a motel to wait out the storm. Probably to do a couple other things, too…

As Kaitlin sat across the dining room table from Mom and Dad, she checked her watch and saw it was only like ten in the morning. There was a pretty good chance that Sam and Lonnie were still asleep wherever they'd ended up. A Value Inn along the 5, probably. Kaitlin sighed and slumped in her chair, looking back up at her parents.

"Katie, do you know where Sam is?" Mom asked, each word enunciated and given weight. Kaitlin gave a tired shrug and shook her head.

"Nope," she replied, meeting her gaze and maintaining eye contact. Now probably wasn't the time to be obstinate, but she was still freshly angry at Mom and Dad.

"Do you know _why_ she ran away?" Dad asked, his voice a lot more frantic.

"Yup," Kaitlin confirmed, nodding and folding her arms over her chest.

"Dammit, Katie," Mom snapped, dropping her forced calm, "Stop playing games and help us help your sister!" Kaitlin had been planning on just going back and forth one syllable at a time, but she wasn't about to let that stand. Sure, _she_ was the one who was hurting Sam.

"Oh, that's rich," Kaitlin shot back, sitting up a little but keeping her glare fixed on Mom, "I think you've 'helped' her enough!"

"What are you even talking about?" Mom demanded, raising her voice and leaning forward. Ugh. Mom and Dad wanted answers about why Sam was missing? Fine.

"Sam ran away with her girlfriend," Kaitlin declared, an edge to her voice, "She ransacked the house, drove out to pick her up from who knows where, and now they're on the lam because they sure as hell don't feel safe here!" Mom opened her mouth then shut it again, apparently speechless.

"Also, they _totally_ did it in your bed," Kaitlin added, allowing herself a smirk. Mom scoffed.

"Don't be crude!" Dad snapped, brandishing a finger at Kaitlin, "Let's just-" He took a deep breath and tried to collect himself. "Let's just try and focus on finding Sam."

"I don't think Sam wants to be found, though," Kaitlin insisted, "I got the sense she just wants to be on her own."

"Oh, you 'got the sense?!'" Mom demanded, "Did she talk to you before she left? Did you let her leave?!"

"No, I read her friggin' diary!" Kaitlin blurted, "She wrote me a bunch of notes while I was gone, and I read them, and she told me all about everything. Meeting this girl, falling for her, and then you two," she pointed between her parents, "Trying to split them up. And then the last entry was that she was running away with Lonnie."

"Well, did she write about how difficult she's been this past year?" Dad pressed, "Did she write all about how she's been sneaking out, and how she's been cutting class? It's been something new every month! Shoplifting, smoking, 'lesbian.' Don't make it _our_ fault that she's been acting out!"

"'Acting out?!" Kaitlin repeated, incredulous, "You think her being gay is 'acting out?'"

"It's _very_ common for young people to try on different identities," Mom insisted, sounding defensive, "Dr. Medina says that-"

"I don't care what Dr. Medina says!" Kaitlin spat, cutting her mother off, "Sam's gay, end of story. I don't know why she's been shoplifting or smoking or whatever, but those are separate issues. It's not like she fell in love to spite you or something!"

"It's just a silly infatuation," Mom insisted, "It can't be a _real_ relationship." Kaitlin raised her eyebrows, speechless at Mom's complete lack of self-awareness.

"Yeah, well, you're the expert on silly infatuation, aren't you?" she finally snapped, glaring at her mother.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Mom demanded.

"You know what it means," Kaitlin replied quietly, holding eye contact until Mom finally broke, looking flustered. Maybe it wasn't fair to bring whatever had been going on with that other ranger into this, but Kaitlin didn't really care at this point. So far as she was concerned, Mom and Dad were in no position to be taking the high ground here.

"I think Sam's gone north," Kaitlin finally sighed, getting up from the table, "She and Lonnie are probably in a motel someplace, being the happiest they've been in months. Just let her do her thing, and she'll come home eventually. Or you could call 411 and ask for every motel from here to Portland, and start calling 'em one at a time." Again, she turned on her heel and started to leave the room.

"Katie, come back here," Dad ordered, and she could hear his chair scooting backward as he stood, "Where do you think you're going?!"

"To bed," Kaitlin declared, pausing for just a moment in the doorway, "I'm jetlagged as all hell, and I'm done." Without waiting for a reply, she turned into the hall and headed for Sam's room.


	3. Someday

The next couple days were pretty shitty. Mom and Dad reported Sam missing, and the police came around to take their testimonies. Kaitlin insisted on giving hers separate from Mom and Dad's, but she tried to tell the police most of what she knew. Of any relevance, anyway.

After the initial righteous anger had subsided, Kaitlin had to admit she _was_ worried about Sam. She'd heard somewhere that runaways usually came home within twenty four hours, and that milestone had come and gone. She didn't know if that was _true_ , of course, but that didn't exactly lift her spirits. Sam had to be fine, though, right? She'd come home once she and Lonnie ran out of food, or needed new clothes, or something. Wouldn't she?

It didn't help that Kaitlin didn't really have much to do all day but worry. She'd sort of been planning to look for a job or something once she was back from Europe, but she just didn't have the drive just then. Mostly she just sat around in the den, watching daytime talk shows and soaps.

Her jetlag wasn't really too bad, as it turned out. Being young had its perks. Still, she used it to beg off from spending too much time with Mom and Dad. Mostly, she just wasn't ready to forgive them and move on yet. They were definitely worried about Sam, and they wanted to find her safe and sound, but Kaitlin hadn't really doubted that they _cared_ about Sam. Not really. It was more that she thought the way they'd handled the whole Lonnie thing had just been awful, and she was pretty sure it was the main reason her sister was missing now. Even if they hadn't _meant_ to drive Sam away, Kaitlin still felt like it was their fault.

When she'd had too much daytime TV, Kaitlin would sometimes go up to straighten up the guest room a bit. Slowly but surely, she'd moved the boxes down to the basement, and had put most of her clothes away in the closet and dresser. It wasn't move-in ready quite yet, though, so Kaitlin still slept in Sam's room for the time being.

Just like usual, Kaitlin had stayed up sort of late, catching reruns of _Seinfeld_ until they gave way to infomercials. After that, sometimes she'd read a book or something, or pop in a movie. Mostly she just wanted to make sure she stayed up late enough to sleep in well past Mom and Dad leaving for work in the morning. Mostly she'd just let herself wake up whenever.

That particular morning, though, Kaitlin found herself awoken by some noise in her room. Well, _Sam's_ room, really, but it was the room she was using. Staying in youth hostels for the better part of a year had left her more or less used to noise and movement in her general vicinity as she slept, but this sort of stood out from the casual come and go she'd had to put up with in Europe. The noise was ongoing, but almost furtive. She'd had some of that in Europe, too, and had had to swat some stranger's hands off her stuff or her person a few times.

Once she was fully awake, Kaitlin snapped her eyes open and sat up in bed, looking around the room for the source of the noise. There were two other people in there with her, and they stopped like deer in headlights as soon as she sat up. The room was pretty well lit with daylight, so she could see the interlopers clearly. They were two girls in their late teens, and Kaitlin recognized them both.

"Sam?" Kaitlin breathed, fixing her eyes on her sister. The two just stared at each other in silence for a moment before the younger threw herself at the bed, pulling Kaitlin into a tight hug.

"Katie!" Sam cried as she squeezed Kaitlin close, "Shit, Katie!" Kaitlin had been startled for a second, but quickly wrapped her arms around her sister. Sam shook a little in her arms, and Kaitlin could tell she was crying. Tears were forming in the corner of Kaitlin's eyes, too. She'd known from the start that Sam was probably okay, but seeing her in the flesh was a huge relief all the same.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here when you got home," Sam said sheepishly once she and Kaitlin released each other, "I was- well, you read the diary, right?" Kaitlin nodded. "Okay. Yeah, so you know where I went."

"I'm just glad you're safe!" Kaitlin replied, wiping her eyes and grinning, "I was worried. Mom and Dad are, too, if you were wondering." Sam wrinkled her nose a little at the mention of their parents.

"Sorry for that too, I guess," she grumbled, "They've both been kinda shitty the last few months, but still…"

"You'd mentioned," Kaitlin noted, "So, um, is this her? Is this Lonnie?" She motioned at the pink haired girl in the army surplus coat who was standing back a few feet, looking away and sort of fidgeting a bit.

"Yeah!" Sam confirmed, smiling again and turning to wave the other girl over, "Lonnie, come here!" After a bit of hesitation, she took a few steps closer, coming to a halt next to Sam.

"So, Katie, this is Lonnie," Sam went on, "Lonnie, this is my big sister, Katie."

"Hi," Kaitlin greeted, holding out a hand for Lonnie to shake. Despite her earlier reluctance, the pink haired girl took her hand in a firm grip, making eye contact with Kaitlin as she did.

"Ma'am," Lonnie answered. Kaitlin raised her eyebrows, and Sam snorted.

"She's fine, hon," Sam assured Lonnie, rubbing her shoulder, "We can trust Katie." She turned her attention back to her sister. "Right?" Kaitlin nodded.

"Definitely," she replied, "I told them you'd run away together, but just so they knew you weren't like kidnapped or anything. They don't know about your secret passages or anything." Lonnie seemed to relax a bit, and Sam smiled and shrugged.

"Thanks, Katie," she mumbled, "Sorry I kinda left you holding the bag…"

"It's fine," Kaitlin assured her, waving it away, "Are you, uh, are you back for good?"

"Nah," Sam explained, shaking her head, "Just resupplying before we head up to Portland."

"So you're really committed to this running away thing, then?" Kaitlin asked. She'd really been hoping that Sam would just be gone a few days and then come home. That was exactly what had happened, sort of, but she'd been hoping Sam would _stay_ home. Sure, Mom and Dad hadn't exactly set up the best home life for Sam, but it was better than two teenagers trying to start from nothing in a big city, wasn't it?

"Sort of?" Sam replied with a shrug, voice noncommittal, "At least for the summer. Like, I'm already registered for that writing program at Reed, and Mom and Dad have already paid their part. It's nonrefundable and includes room and board, so we figured we'd just go ahead and do it."

"I called in some favors from friends and friends of friends," Lonnie added, "So I'm covered for Portland, too. I've got a couch I can crash on, and maybe a job bussing tables, too, if I understand right." That sounded a bit better, Kaitlin had to admit. The summer program at Reed was a far cry from the sort of "living on a prayer" scenario she'd initially envisioned. Lonnie's plan sounded less stable, but Kaitlin got the sense that her sister's beau was used to taking care of herself.

"Can I at least buy you breakfast before you leave for Portland, then?" Kaitlin asked, "I'm not rich, but I've got enough left over from my Europe trip to spring for some diner food."

"Sure," Sam replied, nodding and grinning, "That sounds good."


	4. Catching Up

Kaitlin wasn't used to this new town. If it really was a town, anyway. Some places had sidewalks and straight streets, but others just had narrow roads winding along bluffs and up hills. She hadn't really gotten a good look when she'd arrived, what with it being really late and raining and stuff. In the few days since, she'd looked out over the area from up on Arbor Hill, but never really descended from the house. Everything had seemed so distant from up there…

There were other hills and bluffs and crap, but Arbor Hill was definitely the tallest. Looking up at it as Sam drove the three of them to a local diner, Kaitlin had to admit that the house seemed to loom over the region. In the late morning light of a reasonably clear day it seemed pretty innocuous, but she could see how folks around there started thinking of it as "The Psycho House." On a dark and stormy night, the imagination could easily make it seem sinister.

Come to think of it, it had been a dark and stormy night when Kaitlin arrived, she recalled. That, and when Sam had left. At the time she'd just sort of thought of it as an inconvenience, but the crashing thunder, pouring rain, and trees shaking in the wind gave the night a certain dramatic weight, in retrospect. She could only imagine what it must have been like for Sam, driving down a dark country road late at night in the middle of a huge storm.

The drive today was a lot less hectic, though. Just Kaitlin in the back seat of Sam's car, trying to make conversation with her sister and Lonnie. Reading the diary had made Kaitlin feel like she'd had a window into the past year of Sam's life, but seeing her sister in person was making her realize that she'd actually missed a lot. Lonnie was pretty obviously the biggest development in Sam's life during Kaitlin's absence, so at least she knew about her, but there'd been other stuff, too, it turned out. For instance, Sam and Lonnie had been writing, publishing, and distributing a bimonthly zine, featuring articles, artwork, and serialized fiction by the both of them and some of their friends. She'd taken up smoking too, apparently. "Not always, just, like, socially" was how Sam described it, but Kaitlin was nevertheless concerned.

But still, Sam seemed to be happy with Lonnie, at least as far as Kaitlin could tell from her very brief interactions with the two. Sam held Lonnie's hand on and off as she drove, and the two chuckled and smiled at inside jokes as they talked. Thinking back, Kaitlin tried to remember if she'd ever felt about anyone the way Sam had described feeling about Lonnie, and she found herself drawing a blank. She'd gone on a few dates with a few boys over the years, but she'd never really _loved_ any of them. With college had come more opportunities for more substantial romantic commitments, but Kaitlin had ended up focusing on class more than socializing.

Then there was her year in Europe. Kaitlin had had a couple boyfriends on her adventures, but nothing lasting. Her MO of traveling to a new city every couple of weeks didn't really lend itself to establishing a long-term relationship, after all, and she'd sort of gotten caught up in the romance of brief but exciting flings, especially after managing to watch _Before Sunrise_ in a mostly empty theater one winter afternoon. If she was being honest, Kaitlin had to concede that she hadn't really been looking for anything else besides fun and exciting. Not really. The thought of settling down into something serious at twenty one just seemed ridiculous to her.

And yet here was Sam, running away with a girl at seventeen and seemingly in it for the longhaul. The idea of being that sure about _anything_ at that age boggled Kaitlin's mind. Nevertheless, Sam seemed pretty committed, and Kaitlin sure as hell wasn't going to try and dissuade her. Not from loving Lonnie, anyway. Maybe from running away for good, if that's what she ended up wanting to do.

After a bit of time on the road, Sam pulled up to a diner, circling the lot for a few moments before sliding into a parking spot. The three of them got out of the car and made their way inside, a jingling bell signaling their arrival as they opened the door. A hostess seated them almost immediately, with the promise that their waitress would be along in a minute or two.

"I, uh, wanted to pick a place outside of town," Sam explained sheepishly, "Just to avoid anyone Mom and Dad know seeing me, y'know?" Kaitlin shrugged and nodded.

"Fair enough," she replied, "Can I at least tell them tonight that I saw you and you're safe." Sam made a face, and Lonnie scoffed a little.

"If you really want," Sam grumbled, crossing her arms, "But don't tell them where I am, okay? Please?"

"Deal," Kaitlin stated, "I just don't want them to stay worried. They _are_ worried, Sam."

"I'm surprised they even friggin' noticed," Sam remarked, rolling her eyes and slouching in the booth, "With Dad's new book deal and Mom's promotion, they've been super oblivious to anything else going on. Even before, they only ever learned anything about how I was holding up when school called them directly."

"It did take them a moment to realize your car was gone," Kaitlin conceded, "But enough about that. Tell me more about what all you've been up to!" Much as she wanted to broker some kind of peace between Sam and their parents, Kaitlin didn't want to push. Maybe spending the summer away in Portland would cool Sam's head some, and she'd be more open to working things out in August. Or maybe not, but she sure wasn't right now, and prodding probably wasn't going to change that, it looked like.

"Eh, I wrote about the highlights in the letters I left you," Sam noted, shrugging, "And, well, the biggest development is this goofball here." She broke into a grin and snuggled up beside Lonnie, who smiled and draped an arm around her.

"I mean, I _am_ a pretty big deal," the pink haired girl remarked, feigning nonchalant exasperation, "Certified badass, literal rock star. I'm all kinds of cool." Sam giggled and nuzzled against Lonnie's shoulder.

"I sure think so, anyway!" she agreed, snaking her arms around the other girl's waist and holding herself close. After a few seconds of playful affection, they released one another and settled back into the booth. Sam turned her attention back to Kaitlin.

"But yeah, I figure the biggest real 'news' is that me and Lonnie are a thing," Sam went on, reaching a hand up to take hold of Lonnie's, "I guess we started… When, like the beginning of November, right?" She glanced up at Lonnie, who nodded.

"Something like that," Lonnie confirmed, "It was after we went to that Halloween show, I know that much. We kissed, like, a couple days after that, and I guess that could count as the transition point from friends to…" She trailed off, waving her free hand lazily in a "you get it" sort of gesture.

"Besides my cool new girlfriend, life's been pretty blah," Sam continued, "School's kind of sucked, but what else is new? I can drive now, that's something. Oh, and there's my Reed program, too! But that hasn't actually happened yet, so I don't know if it's really something you've missed."

"I remember you writing something about that in your journal!" Kaitlin remarked, "You've been writing those 'Captain Allegra' stories since you were a little kid, so I'm glad that's paying off for you!"

"I'm pretty excited about it," Sam admitted, beaming, "And I've got a chance to win a big scholarship for my freshman year, if I decide to go there for college! Sure would be nice…" She trailed off, looking wistful. "But how was Europe?!"

"It was amazing!" Kaitlin declared, excited to share her adventures. She'd so been looking forward to telling all her stories from the trip, but the situation at home when she'd returned had kind of put a damper on that. Sam hadn't been around to hear them, after all, and Kaitlin hadn't really been in the mood to regale her parents. "There was just so much history, packed into such a small continent!"

For about an hour or so they went back and forth, Kaitlin describing her adventures in Europe, and Sam grudgingly giving little details about her life over the past year. Lonnie chimed in throughout, sometimes with details for Sam's stories, and sometimes with questions for Kaitlin. She was a little rough around the edges, Kaitlin thought, but Sam sure seemed to like her a lot, and she sure seemed to like Sam. The questions she asked about Europe were actually pretty in-depth, though, meaning she was probably more inquisitive and studious than her aloof attitude let on, which Kaitlin appreciated. She wasn't sure what all the future held for Sam, but a smart romantic partner, someone who could keep her mind engaged, seemed like a good thing to have in any case.

Once Kaitlin had settled the tab and left a tip on the table, the three of them got up and left the diner, piling back into Sam's car and heading for Arbor Hill. They kept their conversation going, but it started to feel surreal to Kaitlin as they approached her family's new home. Here they were, chatting and laughing like they used to, but once they got up to the top of that hill Sam would turn around and drive away, and Kaitlin probably wouldn't see her again for another few months. It was a relief she'd be enrolled in the Reed summer program, not just on the lam, but Kaitlin couldn't help but worry. Then again, she'd just gotten back from a solo adventure around Europe…

"Thanks for breakfast, Katie!" Sam said as she stood with Kaitlin on the porch, "And, um, thanks for dealing with Mom and Dad. I know I didn't exactly leave you with an ideal situation when I took off." Kaitlin shook her head and shrugged.

"You did what you had to," she answered, "I'll tell Mom and Dad you're okay, and to call off the search. I'm just glad you're safe!"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Sam assured, "Like I said, I've got housing and food and stuff all lined up. I'll call the house once I'm settled in, just to tell you I've gotten there okay. And we can write to each other!"

"Sounds good," Kaitlin replied, pulling her sister into a tight hug, "Just- Just take care of yourself, alright? I want to see you home safe come mid-August." Sam sighed but squeezed Kaitlin for a moment before they released one another.

"I'll try," she said, making her way to the door off the porch, "Plus, I've got Lonnie looking out for me, and that's really all I need." She turned to leave, closing the door behind her. A second later, Kaitlin heard the car in the driveway start up again, and then she heard it drive away. Just like that, she was alone again on Arbor Hill.


End file.
